Down But Not Out
by RayneSummer
Summary: When Lara is down, her friends are there, regardless of if they can help. It takes a little while to get back up to speed after the incident in Greece. Set 'Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life' film, extended scene to submarine rescue.


**Universe: **Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (extended scene for Cradle of Life)

**Summary: **When Lara is down, her friends are there, regardless of if they can help. It takes a little while to get back up to speed after the incident in Greece.

**Note: **_I said I wouldn't be writing Tomb Raider stories. I lied. Kind of. After playing the games for ages, I watched the films and just wow. Lara Croft is an amazing inspiration. She also needs looking after bc she has friends and it's the best thing ever. I don't care if she doesn't want looking after; she's going to get it. No one can escape my hurt/comfort obsession. Not even Lara. She is amazing though. Also I know there's a deleted scene for this scene but I watched it after I started writing the story. Do love it though. "that means you don't appreciate me!" *Lara pushes Bryce into water* She's seriously the best._

* * *

Admittedly, Hillary and Bryce had been rather concerned when Lara's tracker activated but didn't move. Thankfully, they found her - or rather the submarine did by rising underneath her - and quickly saw to how their friend was.

Bryce said not-so reassuringly that Lara's disorientation was normal after a three day excursion, and Hillary commented in amusement, "nice day for a dip." To which he was given a look and, despite how exhausted she was, Lara started pushing herself up. Hillary offered her the towel but when she didn't take it, instead stumbled as she tried to straighten up, he swiftly draped it over her back as Bryce steadied her and they led her towards the door.

Inside the submarine, the other two men hung back with Hillary to discuss while Bryce took the med kit from them and took Lara to a room. She stumbled in and practically fell onto the bed with exhaustion, barely sitting up.

"You hurt bad?" Bryce asked in some worry. After a moment, Lara shifted, grimacing as she touched the would on her thigh, then the cut on her arm, but tiredly shook her head. Bryce gave her a disbelieving look and nevertheless went to sit by her, reaching for her left arm and too used to his friend's attitude of being looked after for once to pay attention to the tired attempt at a glare he was getting.

He wiped the cut Lara had made to attract the shark by blood, muttering as he did so. When he reached for a temporary dressing to put on it until she changed out of her wetsuit, he sighed and stopped, looking at Lara. "I wasn't going to ask, but I s'pose I ought to. What are these from exactly?"

She opened her eyes and glanced at him warily. "Some bastards who took my orb and blood for a shark," she murmured in reply. Bryce hesitated again, then, as he carefully wound a short bandage around her arm, cautiously asked, "what about the others?"

"They're dead," Lara replied shortly. He grimaced in sympathy as he reached for another wipe. He put it in her hand and guided her to press it to the wound on her thigh. "Put pressure on that to stop the bleeding. I'd better talk to Hillary."

Lara nodded, still exhausted, and Bryce stood, glanced at his too-quiet friend in worry, then left the room and hurried to find the butler. The two almost walked into one another in the hallway outside the control room. Hillary greeted him with a concerned expression. "How is she?"

Bryce sighed. "In herself, just exhausted and a couple of cuts," he replied, then in a lowered voice, added, "but the others are dead." Hillary nodded solemnly. "I guessed." He sighed too, and glanced at the control room behind him before turning back to Bryce.

"They saw what I think was Lara's pod at the bottom. My guess is whoever turned up and killed the others ruined it so she couldn't get to the surface." He frowned and added, "neither have I figured out how she managed to make it. Do you have any idea?"

The younger man nodded. "The cut on her arm. She said it was to attract a shark. I'm thinking she so-called rode said shark to the top to get there in time." Hillary's surprised expression turned to mildly impressed as he struggled with disapproval at Lara's method of survival and relief that she made it.

"Well, Lara is certainly resourceful, but we already knew that," he decided to comment. Bryce nodded again slowly. Then, without talking any more, the two simultaneously began walking back down the hall to check on their friend.

* * *

When the team finally got back to Croft Manor after an underwater trip to England and a drive to Buckinghamshire, Lara had rested, changed out of her clothes and had her injuries treated properly. She was deemed exhausted but otherwise alright after some more rest. So, Hillary took a tired Lara to her room, left her pyjamas out for her and checked if she needed anything else before leaving with a quiet, "good night, Lara."

He and Bryce, somewhat worried, also retired to their own rooms - or in Bryce's case, caravan - as well to get some needed sleep.

Hillary woke in the night by a sound from a nearby room; a quiet bang, followed by a louder thump and a couple of smaller ones which sounded very much like something falling off a shelf. Acutely aware that life with a treasure hunter was more often filled with dangerous surprises than not - an invasion by men with machine guns looking for a clock, for example - Hillary stopped to slip on his shoes and take the time to pick up the emergency shotgun he kept in his room before venturing out.

He checked the nearby study first and, finding nothing, moved on to a couple of other rooms before carefully entering a small library/reading room that was mostly close by to Lara's bedroom. And there he was met with the rather fearful sight of Lara on the floor with a couple of books fallen nearby.

Worried but careful, Hillary walked up to his fallen friend, asking cautiously, "Lara?" He put the shotgun down and crouched close enough to observe her but far away enough to avoid a punch if she was still alert. "Lara?"

When no response came, Hillary surveyed the scene. It looked like she had tried to do some research but had collapsed in exhaustion or pain. He came to the decision not to wake her up lest she have a knife on her or something - an injured Lara was definitely a dangerous Lara. He decided to stay with her to watch over until she came around.

So Hillary briefly left the room the put the gun back and get a blanket which, when he returned, he draped lightly over Lara to keep her warm enough. Then he chose a position near enough to watch over her but far enough so not be struck if she woke suddenly, and found a book to read.

He stayed there, just keeping an eye on his charge, being the loyal friend he was. About half an hour later, Lara thankfully stirred ad slowly came to. Hillary asserted that she wasn't hurt, just still exhausted. He helped her up and escorted Lara back to her room; she limped a little on her scratched leg and leaned on him more than she would later admit.

Hillary held the covers as she got into bed, and gently pulled them over her. Then, rather too relieved that she was alright, he told her firmly to stay there until she was appropriately rested and recovered and even went so far to vaguely threaten that if he found her collapsed again he would react more dramatically. In reply he got a patent Lara Croft look of 'I'd like to see you try', but as her eyes began to close, she murmured, "thank you, Hillary."

He smiled and quietly walked to the door, and glanced back once before he stepped out. "You're always welcome, Lara."

* * *

It only took a few days before Lara was back up to speed and fueled with anger and frustration about what had happened. She took it out, as she often did, on various weapon targets, using various weapons. Which one morning during bamboo-stick fighting practice, was Hillary.

Even as she battled him a little too forcefully for practice and he had to tell her not to take it out on him, and that she'd find the killers, he and Bryce knew that this was the Lara they knew was okay. She would be fine.


End file.
